Toyota will manufacture Waymo's autonomous robotaxis at its Takaoka plant in Japan, beginning testing and validation of a driverless fleet in 2027. The facility will handle both base-vehicle assembly and installation of Waymo's level 4 self-driving hardware. The vehicles will be Toyota bZ4X SUVs outfitted with extra rear legroom, automatic doors, and a power liftgate for ride-hailing service.
Deployment in the UK and other Waymo markets is planned for later years. The partnership gives Waymo a high-volume manufacturing partner while allowing Toyota to participate in autonomous ride-hailing without developing its own full autonomy stack.
Toyota and Waymo will also study autonomy for privately owned Toyota models, exploring how Waymo's operating data could improve road safety for all users. The companies will work with Woven by Toyota on this research.
Hiroki Nakajima, Member of the Board of Directors and Executive Vice President of Toyota, stated: "We are deeply grateful that Waymo, which helped pioneer fully autonomous driving technology, has chosen Toyota as its partner. Safety technology makes the biggest difference when it reaches as many people as possible."